Forgiveness

[vagabond]

Forgiveness


Forgiveness is the difficultest state
of mind to enter with sincerity—
but none's more needful, dissipating hate:
contrition's naught, forgiveness verity.
Apology can help:  it soothes a sting
of felt injustice, disrespect perceived—
but begging for indulgence cannot bring
release, unless forgiveness is received.
Still harder is a case where some will not
apologize because they stand accused
of what their grandsires did, or their race wrought,
who rightly feel their present selves abused.
But there, relenting's trouble isn't lack
of true confession, but that letting go
of vengeful motivations for attack
would leave a void—snuff out a warming glow.
And this is why forgiveness benefits
not each recipient but its free donor
whose soul it liberates from ancient writs
to daily live in unforced peace and honor.

 the confession leaves a void too.. sometimes lifetimes/generations long. the bigger the sin the harder to acknowledge.
not sure if i understand the "warming glow" of keeping vengeful motivations ... isn´t this the same as a lack of confession?

the beginning seemed a little general.. maybe start the poem at "begging for undulgence..."
although i hate to suggest that seeing the effort you put in its form.
"still harder is a case..." sounds too analytic, but i don´t have a suggestion how to get the point of the following 4 lines across in another way.

i´d make the end weaker.. because this forgiveness it talks about almost sounds like wishful thinking.. even if it´s true.   
first i thought "honor" doesn´t fit next to "peace"
mostly honor seems a concept restored by revenge.  
.. but then, in another way honor is destroyed by guilt and the circle of revenge is never really working, so yes.. keep it there right next to peace.
but maybe write something like "try and live" in the last line instead of "daily live"?